The Pretender by Foo Fighters Paulo and Laurel’s story in The Fated Mage is fraught with tension between the two of them. Paulo’s oracular abilities makes it easy for him to meddle with things, to manipulate situations to benefit him. And Laurel hates it. She knows he pretends to be a pompous peacock in order to fool people into underestimating him and by the end of this series. All she wants is for him to stop pretending, to stop playing puppet master, and to become the man she knows he is. Call of the Carnyx by Saor The battles that take place in The Fated Mage aren’t just battles of the mind or the heart. When I was researching this book, I came across the carnyx, a tall wind instrument the Celts used around the Iron Age. It was this fearsome looking horn that let out this haunting drone over battlefields. I knew when I heard it that Paulo would hear the low moans of this horn as the rebels attacked his home. This particular song really embodies that sense adrenaline spike and that intensity that comes with battle. Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler This song was…

Book Title: IF WISHES WERE RETAIL Character Name: The Djinn formerly of the Ring of Khorad How would you describe your family or your childhood? Upon my birth, many thousands of years ago, I was but a flicker of flame, a breath on the wind. So I remained until, at last, my mother coaxed me into a shape, and I was given form. I spent many happy years becoming this and that—a scorpion, a bird, a snake, a tree. I had many brothers and sisters, and our tribe was mighty and untroubled by the doings of humanity then, in the dim reaches of your prehistoric past. What was your greatest talent? My millennia bound within the Ring of Khorad and to the service of its bearer has made me adept at granting mortals their heartfelt desires. You call these things “wishes.” This is, for better or worse, what I am best suited to do. Significant other? This question is impertinent! Invasive! Rude! I should make of you a donkey so that your braying would be heard for miles, and yet your tongue be robbed of language. I am single. Biggest challenge in relationships? I have been told I have a…

Book Title: QUEEN MOTHER (The Angel Sworn book 1) Character Name: Azra, a prisoner in the dungeon at Montheron How would you describe your family or your childhood? You wish to know about my wretched childhood? Very well. I came from a brutal and evil kingdom. Under the boot of a warlord who despoiled everything he touched. Who knew no boundaries nor accepted any authority above his own. The depravity, if you knew it, would make you weep. I escaped. Barely. And I came here, to Montheron. It was such a contrast to the horrible realm I’d lived in. I was but a child then. No more than eight. But I saw the difference. What is your greatest talent? There is a good reason the Queen Mother made me her angel of death. Angel sworn are forbidden to marry but you did. Why? I was wounded and the only survivor of my cohort. I did what I did to stay alive. I’ll speak no more of it. You’ve not earned the right to hear my story. Why are you in this dungeon, Azra? I joined the angel sworn willingly. But that changed after I nearly died at Tirich Mir. I…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Amber Chen! Writes: Hi everyone! I am a YA author that has just released my debut silkpunk fantasy duology, with Book 1 OF JADE AND DRAGONS and Book 2 THE BLOOD PHOENIX. Silkpunk is a term that was coined by the author Ken Liu for his Dandelion Dynasty series, to represent a “specific technology and literary aesthetic” that draws from the history and culture of East Asia and the Pacific islands. It is similar to steampunk in that it also encompasses the key themes of rebellion, anti-authoritarianism and a struggle for freedom, but it’s unique because the inspiration behind the technology is slightly different.  This duology follows the journey of Ying, a young, talented female engineer who aspires to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the prestigious Engineers Guild one day. However, all this is upended when her father is murdered, sending her on a quest to search for her father’s murderer (in Book 1) and then to deal with the aftermath of…

In all these post-World War II stories, the main characters come to grips with changes that transform their lives, from the relative security of “normal everyday women” to those threatened by or trying to escape their past, to those caught in a life-threatening political turmoil. In changes small or profound, they must find their way to a better future. We start with “normal life” in Marie Bostwick’s THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN. Living in a lovely neighborhood in a fine home with a loving family, 1960s Concordia housewife Margaret Ryan has everything she’s supposed to want.  When intriguing new neighbor Charlotte Gustafson moves to the area, Margaret engineers a book club to become better acquainted.  Their first choice, Betty Friedan’s THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, sparks Charlotte and friends Bitsy and Viv to examine more closely what they want out of life—challenging them to question the status quo and societal expectations, inspiring “the Bettys” to find their own voices.  Bostwick masterfully recreates the period when women more fully discovered the power of female bonds and began pushing the limits of their “expected” roles. We turn from the safety of suburbia to the dangers of post-World War II Germany in THE GERMAN…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A PROMISE TO ARLETTE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A historical fiction saga that takes you from the seemingly idyllic life of Ida and Sydney in 1950s American suburbia, to Ida’s glistening past in Paris, to the devastation of WWII. It’s a story about love and friendship, trust and betrayal, and how promises made, broken, and ultimately renewed, can determine our fate. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was intrigued by the stark differences between the 1950s New England lifestyle versus 1930s Paris, so I knew my novel would take place in those two locations. The rest was decided for me as my protagonist became Peggy Guggenheim’s assistant, which meant following Peggy from England to Paris. Later, when my protagonist tracks down Man Ray, the book takes us to California since that’s where the artist was living. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I wouldn’t be so keen to hang out with Ida when the book opens. She’s a bit of a self-indulgent mess. In her youth, definitely. And by the end I’d have a drink with her. …

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Mary Kennedy! Writes: Mary Kennedy is an award-winning, national bestselling novelist of cozy mysteries, with four million copies in print. She loves mysteries that sweep you along, giving just enough twists and turns to make the plot interesting along with characters you will never forget. As always, there’s plenty of zany characters and one-liners to keep you laughing while you watch Dr. Maggie solve the murder. About: Mary Kennedy uses her own life and career as a basis for her mysteries. She worked in radio in the south (just like Dr. Maggie) right out of college and she has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She briefly hosted a celebrity TV show on the local PBS station and that gave her plenty of funny situations for Dr. Maggie to explore. She’s a devoted animal lover and decided to set in the series in Florida because she’s a big fan of sunshine and the ocean. My ideal reader match for my latest book, DEATH OF A…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Elizabeth Rose! Writes: Hi everyone! I normally write romance but have just started a NEW medieval murder mystery series called Harlowe & Fitch Historical Mysteries. My latest release is MURDER ON ROTTEN ROW, Book 2. Lady Vivienne Harlowe is determined to find justice for those who have lost a loved one since her parents’ murders seven years ago have yet to be solved. Now, with her bloodhound, Grunt, she helps her friend since childhood, Sheriff Zachariah Fitch to solve murders and hunt down killers so those families of the deceased can find peace of mind. When Vivienne’s dog discovers a corpse behind the tavern in the bad part of town, the hunt is on to find the killer before he or she strikes again. But it’s not easy with a rat catcher called the Pied Piper terrorizing people and even frightening the children. While this is not a romance, you’ll still find sexual attraction between Vivienne and Zachariah, even though the focus of the…

Hardly an hour of any day goes by when I don’t think “Wouldn’t I rather be reading a romance?” HARDLY A GENTLEMAN, our most recent offering from Eloisa James, is a good example of why I feel this way. Clara is smart, feisty, and tired of the restrictions and expectations of life in London society in 1803, and she’s especially tired of the unwanted attentions of a certain prominent prince (yes, the prince). She escapes to Scotland, where naturally she meets a laird and ends up living in close proximity to the gorgeous Caelan, who (darn it!) is often forced to bathe outdoors in the loch as his dilapidated castle is under repair. Much of the plot is…fanciful, but as always, Ms. James’s characters are strong, resourceful, generous, and of course, sexy. I finished HARDLY A GENTLEMAN far too quickly, and as always, felt bereft at having to say goodbye to the characters—including, as always, a marvelous array of secondary figures and a few scene-stealing and loveable animals. I try hard to keep up with new offerings, but I also strive to catch titles I’ve missed, and I was fortunate this month to read two great ones. My daughter recommended…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Molly Morris! Writes: YA fiction that’s one part romance, two parts weird. The characters in my latest novel REWIND TO US include a 17-year-old whose secret magical ability is the power to rewind the past just once in her life, and her secret crush/best friend with whom she’s lost her chance at love (a fact made apparent when she sees him kissing…someone else). About: I’m a California native with a penchant for the bizarre. A lover of all things silly and strange, I write YA fiction that’s heavy on romance, friendship, family dynamics, and pop culture, all in worlds that contain secret little pockets of magic. My interests include Motown music, true crime documentaries, pretending my obsession with needlecraft makes me “fun” and not lame, and relentlessly quoting The Office. My ideal reader match for REWIND TO US will have: What to expect if we’re compatible: REWIND TO US by Molly Morris Again, But Better meets Maybe in Another Life in this love story with a magical twist! Dixie…